himself. “I can have my dinner later, after you finish.”
“You should do nothing of the kind,” she cried, much to his surprise. “What objection could I possibly have to you eating in your own dining room? If one of us ought to withdraw, it is I. But since you have kindly invited me to join you, I should be honored to accept.”
“Capital!” Her unexpected agreement acted as a tonic upon Hayden’s spirits. “It is settled, then.”
He turned to the butler, who had remained passive and still during their exchange, almost as if he had not heard a word of it. “You are quite certain, Gibson, that this change in our arrangements will not inconvenience the staff?”
“Not in the least, Your Grace,” the butler assured him. “I shall be more than happy to set a place for you at the head of the table again. If you and Miss Shaw will excuse me, I shall attend to it at once.”
“The head of the table?” Hayden shook his head. “With Miss Shaw clear down at the other end, we might as well each be dining on our own. We would have to shout ourselves hoarse to carry on a conversation. Set our places across from one another, if you please.”
“Very well, Your Grace.” Gibson bowed and retreated into the dining room to carry out his master’s orders.
Once the butler had left them alone, Hayden found himself suddenly overcome with awkwardness.
“You are certain it will not be an imposition to dine with me?” he asked Kit’s governess. “Truly?”
“Truly, Your Grace,” she insisted with a persuasive ring of sincerity. “If I gave you cause to think otherwise, I must apologize. Your invitation took me by surprise. I am not attired to dine with a dustman, much less a duke.”
She gave a sweeping gesture to indicate her dress, accompanied by a comical grimace that made Hayden smile.
“I see nothing wrong with how you look,” he assured her. Privately, he thought the simple style of the garment most becoming on her. “Besides, this is hardly a formal occasion. Are you certain there is no other difficulty?”
Leah Shaw ducked her head, like a child ashamed of some mischief she’d committed. “I must confess, I was anxious to read my letters. It is odd. Only two months ago, I saw most of my dear school friends for the first time in years. Yet I now find myself pining for their company more than I did before.”
Was that all? It surprised Hayden to find himself overcome with relief. “I do not think it is odd at all. You must have enjoyed seeing your friends again and now you are more acutely aware of what you’ve been missing.”
Could that be his problem, as well? Had a taste of Miss Shaw’s company made him realize how much he missed having a woman in the house?
Hayden roughly dismissed the thought. But another one occurred to him and refused any attempt to put it from his mind. “Besides that, I suppose you have more time on your hands at Renforth Abbey than in your previous positions, and fewer diversions.”
Did those disadvantages lead her to view this position as an arduous one, in spite of the generous salary? That possibility troubled Hayden.
“That is true, Your Grace,” she admitted with a wistful half smile.
“Then, by all means, go read your post,” he urged her. “I will not be offended, I promise you.”
Miss Shaw held up her letters. “These are not like milk that will go sour if they sit too long. They will say all the same things if I read them this minute or three hours from now. Dinner with you, on the other hand, is an opportunity that might not come again soon. I should avail myself of it while I have the chance.”
Letters going sour like milk? Miss Shaw did have an amusing way of putting things, Hayden had to admit.
As he strove without success to produce an equally witty reply, the butler came to his rescue, appearing in the dining room doorway. “The table has been set as you requested, Your Grace. Shall I inform the kitchen staff that you and Miss Shaw
“You should do nothing of the kind,” she cried, much to his surprise. “What objection could I possibly have to you eating in your own dining room? If one of us ought to withdraw, it is I. But since you have kindly invited me to join you, I should be honored to accept.”
“Capital!” Her unexpected agreement acted as a tonic upon Hayden’s spirits. “It is settled, then.”
He turned to the butler, who had remained passive and still during their exchange, almost as if he had not heard a word of it. “You are quite certain, Gibson, that this change in our arrangements will not inconvenience the staff?”
“Not in the least, Your Grace,” the butler assured him. “I shall be more than happy to set a place for you at the head of the table again. If you and Miss Shaw will excuse me, I shall attend to it at once.”
“The head of the table?” Hayden shook his head. “With Miss Shaw clear down at the other end, we might as well each be dining on our own. We would have to shout ourselves hoarse to carry on a conversation. Set our places across from one another, if you please.”
“Very well, Your Grace.” Gibson bowed and retreated into the dining room to carry out his master’s orders.
Once the butler had left them alone, Hayden found himself suddenly overcome with awkwardness.
“You are certain it will not be an imposition to dine with me?” he asked Kit’s governess. “Truly?”
“Truly, Your Grace,” she insisted with a persuasive ring of sincerity. “If I gave you cause to think otherwise, I must apologize. Your invitation took me by surprise. I am not attired to dine with a dustman, much less a duke.”
She gave a sweeping gesture to indicate her dress, accompanied by a comical grimace that made Hayden smile.
“I see nothing wrong with how you look,” he assured her. Privately, he thought the simple style of the garment most becoming on her. “Besides, this is hardly a formal occasion. Are you certain there is no other difficulty?”
Leah Shaw ducked her head, like a child ashamed of some mischief she’d committed. “I must confess, I was anxious to read my letters. It is odd. Only two months ago, I saw most of my dear school friends for the first time in years. Yet I now find myself pining for their company more than I did before.”
Was that all? It surprised Hayden to find himself overcome with relief. “I do not think it is odd at all. You must have enjoyed seeing your friends again and now you are more acutely aware of what you’ve been missing.”
Could that be his problem, as well? Had a taste of Miss Shaw’s company made him realize how much he missed having a woman in the house?
Hayden roughly dismissed the thought. But another one occurred to him and refused any attempt to put it from his mind. “Besides that, I suppose you have more time on your hands at Renforth Abbey than in your previous positions, and fewer diversions.”
Did those disadvantages lead her to view this position as an arduous one, in spite of the generous salary? That possibility troubled Hayden.
“That is true, Your Grace,” she admitted with a wistful half smile.
“Then, by all means, go read your post,” he urged her. “I will not be offended, I promise you.”
Miss Shaw held up her letters. “These are not like milk that will go sour if they sit too long. They will say all the same things if I read them this minute or three hours from now. Dinner with you, on the other hand, is an opportunity that might not come again soon. I should avail myself of it while I have the chance.”
Letters going sour like milk? Miss Shaw did have an amusing way of putting things, Hayden had to admit.
As he strove without success to produce an equally witty reply, the butler came to his rescue, appearing in the dining room doorway. “The table has been set as you requested, Your Grace. Shall I inform the kitchen staff that you and Miss Shaw
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